Florida Battles Tree Termites

The termites have moved into an area of South Broward and experts are conferring on how to battle them, the Miami Herald reports.

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November 29, 2012

MIAMI — The exotic tree termite, Nasutitermes corniger, have moved into an area of South Broward and experts are conferring on how to battle the pests, the Miami Herald reports.

Experts think the termites arrived from the Caribbean and Central America through ports, then landing in Dania Beach. The species was first discovered in 2001, and it was believed to have been eradicated until last year when they infested nearly four acres of the Fishing Hall of Fame off Griffin Road and Interstate 95.

"Like everything else, nature finds a way and that initial eradication effort wasn't entirely successful," said Allen Fugler, vice president of the Florida Pest Management Association. "But we are hoping that it's only in Broward. We want to contain it and come up with solutions in keeping this from spreading."

Tree termites, unlike the regular termite species, build their nests and tunnels above ground. They forage above ground like ants and they have a greater reproductive capacity. A nest can grow to be the size of a basketball in less than four months, containing at least 180,000 critters, more than the entire population of Fort Lauderdale.

The company said its fourth-quarter earnings rose 17%. Ecolab CEO Doug Baker said the company’s U.S. pest business “has been steadily improving” due to a number of investments in that business starting two years ago.